On the edges of a ravaged battlefield, a lone figure quietly navigates the sea of bodies. Clad in a blue robe and with a tome, reflecting a metallic glint, held close to his chest. The figure’s gaze remains fixed on a collapsed carriage. His pace is steady as he approaches.
Clinging onto a woman’s corpse, a small boy cries silently. His family was tragically caught amid a fierce battle. He managed to survive because his mother hid him, but she, unfortunately, perished in the process. Merely three years old, he struggles to understand his unfortunate fate.
Looming over the crying child, the blue-robed figure says, “Come now child, there is no sense staying in this dreadful place. Follow me, a much grander fate awaits you.”. The figure bends down and gently takes the boy’s hand, guiding him towards his feet. “Come,” the robed figure says again.
In front of the duo, a bright portal opens. Pulling the boy along, the robed figure steps through, both disappearing from the battlefield. A boundless atrium filled with countless hallways greets them as they exit the portal. Dimly lit by numerous magical lights and completely dust-free, the enormous structure is seemingly underground without a window in sight.
The atrium is circular and entirely hollow with an untold number of books lining its walls. A single spiralling staircase connects the thousands of floors. At the top of the atrium, four bridges span the wide gap. At their centre, a single platform is suspended in the air, and a huge crystal hovers above the platform.
“Come, child, we have no time to waste. The system doesn’t take kindly to delays, and I have a great deal to teach you,” the figure urges, making his way towards the central platform. Underneath the glowing crystal, a small podium sits. Frightened by the seemingly bottomless pit, the child tightly grips the robed figure’s hand as they cross one of the four bridges.
After walking close to an hour, they reach the podium. “Place your hand on top of the podium and let fate take its course,” the robed figure urges. Frightened and dazed by the day’s traumatising event, the child hesitates, but the robed figure urges again, “Don’t be scared, place your hand on the podium and all your worries will disappear.”.
A bright light flashes from the crystal above as the boy’s hand touches the podium. All attachment to his family disappears and a new bond forms in his heart. The light changes his body, reforging and perfecting it. His will becomes interwoven with that of the Library, and his purpose becomes clear. In the boy’s vision, a notification appears.
Librarian Trainee Title granted for being the Librarian successor.
Title enhances the trainee’s race and strengthens the trainee’s body and mind, to facilitate Librarian training.
“Good, it seems to have worked. You are now my successor young one, the hundredth Librarian destined to roam these halls. Thus, I will dub you Centum. All Librarian’s share a name, but our surnames are unique. To outsiders, we are called Sage. I am Novem, the ninth of my name. Now come, you understand our purpose and goal, but you still have much to learn.” Novem says, beckoning Centum to follow. In front of them, a new portal appears.
“The system guides us, creating doorways to places we are needed. We don’t control our destination; we only follow in the systems guidance. The system may be vague in its instruction, but that’s because it has confidence in our judgement to recognise what needs to be recorded,” Novem explains, pulling Centum through the portal.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Stepping through, a wide mountain range juts out of the landscape. Magical creatures float in the air, going about their daily lives. “You must learn to cope with any environment and be strong enough to face any foe. History doesn’t appear in a peaceful town but on the edges of life and death. You must learn to read, write and speak all languages. We’ll start your training immediately,” Novem explains.
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Under the canopy of a mystical forest, an aged figure wearing a blue robe with a tome in his arm strolls through the dense foliage. Next to him, a young man clad in a purple robe follows along. “Centum, I’ve trained you for fifteen years. You’ve absorbed all my teaching. The time has come for me to complete my tale,” Novem says, a bittersweet melancholy permeating the air.
From the underbrush, a blue wolf leaps at the duo. Without flinching, Novem grabs his tome in one hand and strikes the wolf out of the air. The creature explodes into gore and guts as the strike lands. “Remember Centum; we are merely the observers and recorders of history, there’s no reason for us to take action. You may question our reason for this creed, but in time you’ll understand,” Novem continues, a portal appearing in front of the duo.
“I’ll take those word to heart, teacher,” Centum promises, following Novem through the portal. On the bottom floor of the boundless atrium, a single bookshelf solemnly stands in the centre. A small desk, with a single chair, is placed next to the bookcase. Novem comes to a stop before the desk and takes a seat. The large metallic tome, held tightly against his chest, is placed on the table. Only a single page is still left blank.
Next to Novem, Centum stands quietly, not daring to disturb his teacher during this critical time. Taking a magical pen from his robe’s pocket, Novem completes the last page of his life’s story, “After a thousand years of service, Librarian Novem, the ninety-ninth successor of the Primordial’s library, completed his duty and passed on his duties and responsibilities to Librarian Centum, the hundredth successor of the Primordial’s library.”.
Placing down his pen, a blank expression appears on Novem’s face. His body begins to disintegrate as it’s absorbed by the tome. The tome slams shut as Novem completely disappears. An empty feeling grips Centum’s heart. Without saying a word, he picks up the metallic tome and walks past the numerous rows of books that line the bookshelf. At the ninety-ninth position, he carefully places his teacher’s tome. A small sigh escapes his lips.
Making his way up the countless flights of stairs, he approaches the central pedestal. On it, a blank, metallic tome lies shut. Filled with determination, Centum places his hand on the metallic tome and announces, “I am ready to accept the duties and responsibilities of the Librarian.”. A bright light flashes from the enormous crystal with a notification appearing in his vision.
Librarian Title granted for being the Librarian.
Title enhances the host’s attributes and grants them the right to manage the Library’s portals.
Name: Sage Centum Race: Spirit Human Titles: Librarian Unique Trait: None
Taking the tome under his arm, Centum’s heart quivers. His eyes are drawn towards the end of the bridge, where a new portal takes shape. It beckons him to enter. To continue the duties of those before him. To write down the tales of heroes and legends. To uncover the truth hidden from all living creatures.